1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to disposal in landfills of spend materials from hydrocarbon treatment processes. More particularly, this invention relates to the disposal in landfills of contaminated particulates that result from contacting hydrocarbon feeds either to produce lower molecular weight materials therefrom, or to remove at least part of the metal contaminants contained in such hydrocarbon feeds, wherein such metal contaminates include nickel, iron, or vanadium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of prior art patents have taught the immobilization of heavy metals in industrial wastes so as to make such wastes suitable for disposal in a sanitary landfill, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,912 to Young; U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,188 to Bertus, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,968 to Kupiec, et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,872 to Connor. Bertus, et al teach the immobilization of metal contaminants in petroleum conversion or cracking catalysts by treatment of tin or indium or their compounds. Kupiec, et al teach the immobilization of heavy metals by treating alkaline slurry of waste with a mixture of bentonite clay and Portland cement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,18,867 (1977) of T. E. Lee discloses disposal of aluminum hydrocarbyl, aluminum hydrocarbyloxy, aluminum halide, or aluminum hydride waste materials in such a way as to minimize environmental pollution when these materials are discarded in a landfill. The process involves reacting one or more of the aluminum compounds with a hydroxide or carbonate of a Group I-A, II-A, IV-A, or V-A element under substantially anhydrous conditions. The Groups are defined in Masterson, et al, "Chemical Principles," W. V. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1969, page 118 which corresponds to those of the 1955 Chart of Fisher Scientific Company. Anhydrous conditions are employed to avoid the formation of highly corrosive hydrolytic acid by-products and most importantly, to insure that the reaction is comparatively mild and controlled so as to avoid any danger of an explosion. The end product produced from such contacting is indicated to be highly resistant to leaching out by water and is therefore suitable for disposal in a landfill. Calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide are specifically disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,705 (1978) of C. L. Chappell discloses treating hazardous waste with an aluminum silicate or alumina silicate and Portland Cement in the presence of water to form a slurry and allowing the slurry to set into rock or solid crystal matrix having encapsulated therein the hazardous waste. The permeability of the material that results is less than 1.times.10.sup.-4 centimeters per second and has a compressive strength 28 days after preparation of 100 to 1,000 PSI. Hazardous waste is disclosed especially to contain aluminum, iron, and vanadium among others. The Portland Cement used is disclosed to have an analysis of calcium oxide of 63.1%, silicone dioxide, 20.6%, alumina (AL203), 6.3%; iron oxide, 3.6%; and a sulfate (as SO.sub.4), 42.0%.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,021 (1974) of W. K. Lorenz et al, discloses a process for disposing refinery waste sludge materials, which comprises dewatering and deoiling by heating to a temperature of about 100.degree. F. and 200.degree. F., filtering the heated material through a filter press at a temperature of about 100.degree. F. to about 200.degree. F., washing the resulting filter cake with water at a temperature between about 125.degree. F. and 200.degree. F. to obtain a filter cake which can then be spread on land to effect biodegration of the oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,036 (1976) of A. W. Liles et al, discloses a process for treating waste water which can contain a water-isoluble inorganic oxide such as a spent cracking catalyst containing vanadium, iron, nickel, copper and carbon supported on a silica-aluminum support such as a zeolite support. The invention is directed to the usefulness of adding various water-insoluble inorganic oxides to an activated sludge process so as to increase sludge settling rates, compaction as well as increase the rate which biologically oxidizable materials are removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,405 (1978) of Quienot discloses converting water-soluble pollutants into water-insoluble solid masses by treatment with a particulate metallurgical slag under alkaline conditions, in the presence of hydration-promoting agents for the slag. Examples of such agents which promote the hydration of the slag include materials containing sulfate ions and a small quantity of an alkali metal lime such as alkali metal sulfates or a mixture of gypsum and alkali metal hydroxide.